I feel her pain! My D-XH had the glorious idea of us owning the Chevrolet twin of the Escalade, the Chevy Avalanche. I have never hated a vehicle so much as I hated that truck. It is horrible to park. I hope she has a backup camera in it because you can kill someone going in reverse. Knowing what I know, I would refuse to drive it off the rental car lot.

She should return it for something she is comfortable driving.

I don't know what it is about the Escalade and Avalanche, they are on a Tahoe frame, but look ginormous when you're inside. Outside, they seem normal size. Parallel parking and backing up is a problem for me, you can't see anything less than 5 1/2 feet tall out the back window. Hubby dubby loves our Avalanche though.
That's funny, Faron. They finally found somebody to rent that one and only big honkin truck on Kauai!

Hey, it's the thought that counts, Faron. You get an A for effort :) Bummer you didn't get to go along on this trip.

I shouldn't laugh at all...I should've realized many Women just aren't fond of the "Big-rigs"!

It would be one MY dream cars!! It's something I can FIT in...AND see out of, without ducking my head to see under the rear-view mirror. God I hate that!!!!!
I grew up farming, and we always had full-size Chevy pickups, etc. DF always had a BIG black Lincoln-Continental every 2 yrs. in the latter-60's-70's, back when there was money in farming! (We lost him in Oct. '75...I was 14)

So, I wouldn't even think twice about driving a Suburban/Yukon/Escalade-class car. For ME, it would be a relief! OPEC would love me even more too!

They DID give them the "Beast" for the same price as their "std."-size rental however! She never thought to ask if there was a smaller "CTS"-size car I guess...

Faron

Actually, I really like pickups. I learned to drive on my dad's 3/4 ton flatbed, with stick shift (in the city). Now, where we live, pickups are the norm. But Kauai, with all those little narrow roads, I can understand your DW being somewhat nervous. But she has a really nice, safe and solid vehicle and you did good to make it happen.
Annie'71

I learned to drive my mom's '77 Lincoln Continental. So I grew up driving boats. I currently drive a Silverado xtended cab 4x4...

Sometimes for work I have to drive the Ford Escape-seriously, you call that an SUV? We have an Explorer as part of our motor pool and that is barely tall enough to make it through some of the places I have to go at times.

I've not driven an Escalade, but did ride in my Aunts ginormous SUV-can't recall what it was right now-want to say a Suburban-and I felt at home in that rig.

Your DW shouldn't even be driving-she should be celebrating with her butt in the sand and a drink in her hand!

An old school bus driver here... Learned to drive with a crash box transmission. Class B license. Oh yes...

Hate, hate, hate driving those big cars....AND paying for the gas they guzzle. My big DH (6'4") doesn't mind 'em, but I (5'2") sure do!!!

I had an Escalade and loved it. So did my children and grandchildren. When the price of gas went up so high, I did downsize to a Lexus LS430 and love it.

Redcurls you sound like me! My hubby drives a full size truck and I love my (boring - sorry Faron) camry. It's perfectly sized for me. I prefer a car. My hubby's truck takes twice as much gas as my car.

tina

I love my Prius. I love my Prius. I love my Prius. If there is anything I love more than my Prius, it is passing up gas stations.

Good for the women in your life, to spurn a gas guzzler that is the cause of so many environmental problems! We would not buy our kids any car that got less than 35 mpg... 2 priuses among our family cars. Even when I had a quest minivan from necessity, I used hyper-miling techniques to get at least a third more mpg than the official number.

kswi: I don't think Faron's DW spurned her upgrade because she considered it a gas guzzler. I think if you want to cast aspersions on anybody choosing to drive a bigger car than you drive, you need to know more about the driver. You may have a small, gas efficient car. I have a larger car and drive infrequently in an area where we need the benefit of larger vehicles. I would be willing to bet that you use more gas than I. You probably drive more; I drive less. What does it matter what my vehicle guzzles? It makes no sense to criticize someone for their choice of vehicle.

Yeah-
DW and (especially) ME don't really give much of a hoot about gas-mileage. Right or wrong, it's just not a deciding factor in our household.

I have NOTHING against people who favor higher-mileage choices. I just literally can't fit in most fuel-sippers. 6'3" I am, with more torso-length. The farming background also kinda numbs you to gas-mileage! NOTHING gets good mileage on a farm LOL!

DW is 5'7", & obviously just didn't like the hulking size of the Escalade. It was the longer-wheelbase one too...Uffda!

If I was magically given 2 free car choices, you'd see a large BLACK Denali or Escalade, and a BLACK CTS-V (it's the Bat-out-of-Hell version...) in MY garage.

Annie & Pesky-
You're too gracious!
Gotta love the "Boat" Lincoln's, & Silverado 4x4's!!

Faron

Anne, I cast no aspersions, you filled that blank in yourself. No need to be defensive if you are comfortable with your own choice, but when it affects others we are surely entitled to thank those who make choices that more closely reflect our own values.

Sorry Folks,

Maybe I shouldn't have started this thread. I should've known other passions would surface. Even though I indirectly fed some I just realized....

Moon-
If we go again soon, I WILL be there!!
(and by "we", I didn't mean "you"...;-))

Faron

No worries here, Faron! I'm happy when people don't like big cars for whatever reason, and lack of maneuverability is a very good reason aside from any other concerns :-)